The Seattle Mariners will invite the Toronto Blue Jays in on Thursday night, beginning a four-game set. When these clubs met earlier in the season, in May, the Blue Jays took two of three at their place.
Toronto (45-38) is still shaking off the cobwebs from a five-game skid in which they were nearly swept by the lowly Oakland Athletics. A 2-1 victory on Wednesday prevented that, snapping what was tied for the longest losing streak this year.
In the MLB standings, they’re tasked with trying to get back in the conversation in the American League East. With a team on a roll such as the New York Yankees have been, the Blue Jays trail the leaders by 14.5 going into this one.
The Mariners, meanwhile, have found success as of late, winning seven of their last eight MLB matchups. That string includes four consecutive wins and a two-game sweep on the road against San Diego. Seattle has positioned itself in second place in the American League West, behind only Houston.
As a whole, the Mariners haven’t been the most effective at the plate. Their .235 team batting average is better than only six other teams. Their offensive run total also ranks within the bottom third of the major leagues.
First baseman Ty France boasts a .316 batting average himself, which is one of the best in MLB at this juncture. He also has the most RBIs of any Seattle player (45) and the highest on-base percentage (.390). Center fielder Julio Rodriguez has clubbed 15 homers.
Blue Jays vs. Mariners Odds
As of 1:00 PM Eastern, MLB odds for this game were not available.
The Blue Jays haven’t been bad by any means as it pertains to swinging the bat. Their .257 batting average currently grades out as the second-best in the AL, behind only division-rival Boston.
Backstop Alejandro Kirk paces the order by hitting .317, which is among the best marks in the bigs. His .404 on-base percentage is also the highest of any Toronto batter. First baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. has a team-high 19 home runs and 53 RBIs.
Matchup Information
Blue Jays vs. Mariners Betting Preview
Marco Gonzalez, a 30-year-old left-hander formerly of St. Louis, will take the ball on the mound for the Seattle Mariners. So far, he has a 4-9 record in 16 starts, along with a 3.29 ERA.
Seattle hasn’t fared all that well with him on the hill lately, having lost six of his last seven outings. In each of those efforts, however, he prevented the opposition from posting more than three earned runs. Last time out, against the A’s, Gonzalez turned in six innings of work, allowing two runs on eight hits.
At the time of this writing, the Blue Jays had yet to identify a starting hurler. Their pitching staff as a whole has been somewhat uninspiring statistically.
It has a 4.12 ERA right now and has conceded the fifth-most knocks in baseball. Kevin Gausman would have gone for Toronto, but he landed himself on the MLB injuries list with an ankle ailment.
He still might be able to pitch in the final three contests of the slate.
Blue Jays vs. Mariners Picks and Predictions
The Blue Jays’ offense is more reliable than Seattle’s — and that should show here. Even with the streak the Mariners are on, Toronto will come out on top in this one, looking to put their slide in the rear view mirror.
With your MLB picks today, make sure to bet on the Blue Jays to cover the spread. They’re sure to hit, even on the road.
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